Just Do the Next Right Thing
Do you find yourself paralyzed at times as to what your next step in a situation should be? Do you try to understand what to do about the situation but feel overwhelmed? My husband Doug and I have been followers of Jesus since 1970, and we have had many situations where we felt overwhelmed and did not know what the next step should be.
Last year on September 17, 2025, we discovered that our dishwasher flooded our kitchen and our basement. We called our insurance company, and they immediately sent a mitigating team to start the repair. The ceiling to the downstairs bedroom was falling down and the people that were doing the work said, “You need to leave your home today because it is dangerous to have you live here. There is mold and possibly asbestos.”
We didn’t know what to do, but we packed our suitcases and checked in to a Motel 6 close to our home. We bravely prayed expecting the repairs to be done in a couple of weeks!
A couple of years ago we did a study in our evening life group using one of David Jeremiah’s books, and he shared how important it is to, “Just do the next right thing.” This phrase resonated with us, and we began using it in our everyday life. So, in this circumstance of having to leave our home and facing the unknown, we found clarity and comfort in saying this to each other, “What is the next right thing?”
The Holy Spirit led us to initially pray and trust His leading even when we were fearful of what was next. It was also frustrating working with insurance adjusters and contractors. Many times, the next right thing was to interact with kindness and the love of Jesus even when we wanted to lash out at them. Every day the next right thing was to come together as a couple for our devotions and focus on one of the verses we were memorizing:
- Genesis 16:13
- “You are the God who sees.” (God sees and knows what is happening in our life.)
- Exodus 14:14
- “The Lord will fight for you. You need to be still.”
- Psalm 3:22
- “Let your unfailing love surround us Lord, for our hope is in you.” (This verse became our theme as we knew our hope is in the Lord and not in the hope that the project would finish.)
- Psalm 100:5
- “For the Lord is good, and His love is eternal, His faithfulness endures through all generations.”
- I Peter 5:7
- “Give all your worries and cares to God for He cares for you.”
- II Corinthians 12:9
- “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.’”
- Galatians 6:9
- “So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.”
What started on September 17, 2025, was completed on April 17, 2026, exactly seven months. We lived in a Motel 6 and a Comfort Suites each for two weeks.
Someone offered their timeshare for a week. We traveled to visit our daughter, Beth and son-in-law, Jon, in Dallas, Texas for three weeks. We traveled to Hawaii and visited our granddaughter Kiana at the University of Hawaii for two weeks. We rented an apartment that was in the basement of a home in the area for 2 months. We also stayed in our home the last 2 months with a refrigerator and microwave in the bathroom and a card table in the office for our meals.
Through all the inconvenience and struggles, we were uplifted by the prayers of our family and the GPBC community. They provided meals and at times took us out to dinner. We felt the generous support and love of our community.
Is there a circumstance you are facing and you need wisdom and direction? Could it be that the Lord wants you to wait on Him? Could it be that you are to be grateful for the trial you are facing? Could it be that the next right thing is to forgive someone who has offended you? Could it be that you need to take a walk? Could it be that you need to visit a friend? Could it be that you need to pray and trust God for the outcome? Could it be that you need to repent and experience the forgiveness and love of Jesus?
Just remember the Lord will help you “do the next right thing” no matter what circumstance you are facing today!